April 12, 2019

2019 Toronto Raptors NBA playoffs preview

The 2018-2019 Toronto Raptors are in the NBA playoffs for the 6th year in a row. Raptors players and fans alike want a more successful playoff run.

Despite setting a franchise record for wins (59), the Raptors went out in the 2nd round for 2 years in a row.;

LeBron James is in the other conference and not even in the playoffs.

The Raptors are the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 58-24 record, one game off the team record from last season. Toronto went an electric 32-9 at home and a great 26-15 road record. Toronto finished 2 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the top spot in the East.

Toronto will play Orlando in the first round. The Magic finished 42-40 but lost the tiebreaker with Brooklyn to finish as the #7 seed. The teams split games in each city. Orlando won the only previous playoff series between the teams in 2008, a date that feels very far away in NBA time. The Magic haven't been in the playoffs since 2012.

Nick Nurse is in his first playoff season as the Toronto head coach. Nurse juggled 22 starting lineups during the regular season, as opposed to 12 starting lineups under previous coach Dwane Casey. Coach Casey had the same same starting lineup in 52 of 82 games. Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard are the guys who run the board for the Toronto Raptors.

(2) Toronto vs. (7) OrlandoSeries tied 0-0

Date

Matchup

Time

U.S. TV

Cdn TV

April 13

Orlando @ Toronto

5p

ESPN

SN One

April 16

Orlando @ Toronto

8p

TNT

TSN

April 19

Toronto @ Orlando

7p

ESPN

SN One

April 21

Toronto @ Orlando

7p

TNT

TSN

April 23

Orlando @ Toronto+

TBD

TBD

TSN

April 25

Toronto @ Orlando+

TBD

TBD

SN One

April 27

Orlando @ Toronto+

TBD

TBD

TSN

Times are Eastern Daylight+ if needed

The Toronto Raptors only have a pair of Game 1 wins in the NBA playoffs. The Raptors had struggled with that even with really good players and teams. Being swept in the second round meant that there was only a single Game 1 win in last year's playoffs.

The NBA doesn't reseed playoff brackets so if the Raptors advance, their opponent will either be Philadelphia (3) or Brooklyn (6).

TSN and Rogers Sportsnet will split Raptors playoff games. TSN will take Games 2, 4, 5, and 7 while Rogers has 1, 3, and 6. The Rogers games will be on Rogers Sportsnet One.

The unspoken elephant is that Toronto traded a very popular player in DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard, who may leave the Raptors at the end of the season. There is a window that isn't opened very far. This is the time for the Toronto Raptors.